Cal guard Justin Cobbs 'feeling good' in rehab from foot surgery

BERKELEY -- Not quite a month after undergoing surgery for a broken right foot, Cal senior point guard Justin Cobbs said he is running on a treadmill with no pain and perhaps ahead of schedule in his recovery.

"Everything's feeling good," Cobbs said. "Just taking my time."

Practice begins Sept. 27 and Cobbs wouldn't speculate on how extensively he will be able to participate at first. But he's been assured the foot will be stronger than ever after having a screw put in to stabilize the metatarsal bone.

"I feel really good about it. I'm not worried," he said. "Just stay healthy and stay focused. I should be back 100 percent."

Cal's season opens Nov. 8 against Coppin State.

Cal's Justin Cobbs (1) left, gets past Pepperdine's Moriba De Freitas (50) in the first period of their basketball game held at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012. (Doug Duran/Staff) (Doug Duran)

The Bears' top returning scorer at 15.1 points per game last season, Cobbs injured his foot while coming down with a rebound on Aug. 12 in a San Francisco Summer Pro-Am League game. He had surgery a week later.

He said he first felt discomfort in the foot before Cal's season-ending NCAA tournament game against Syracuse in March. Doctors examined him and reported he had a minor stress reaction.

But the pain subsided and Cobbs resumed playing in the spring and summer, convinced he was healthy.

"I probably should have paid more attention to the signs, but at the time I had no pain in it for a period of time," he said.

The injury left Cobbs initially depressed, but he said talking to other players who have experienced the same break convinced him he would come through it.

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"I expect to have a big season, improving my game, becoming a leader, and just trying to lead this team as far as possible," he said.